Visible index or record



May 8, 1934. F D, POWELL 1,957,800

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May 8, 1934. POWELL 1,957,800

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Patented May 8, 1934 PATENT OFFICE VISIBLE INDEX OR RECORD Frank D.Powell, Chicago, Ill., assignor to Acme Card System Company, Chicago,111., a corporation of Illinois Application September 26, 1931, SerialNo. 565,340

4 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in a visible index or recordsystem and refers specifically to improvements in cabinet-containedframes or trays, upon which a plurality of indexes or cards may bedisposed, said frames or trays being individually movable and detachablefrom said cabinet.

The utility, objects and advantages of my invention will be apparentfrom the accompanying drawings and following detail description.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a cabinet containedcard record embodying the principles of my invention.

. Fig. 2 is a transverse, sectional View of a panel or tray in foldedposition.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary, detail, sectional view illustratingparticularly the hinged connection between the cabinet panel or tray andthe slidable tray supporting plate.

Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken on the line 44 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a horizontal, sectional view on line 5-5 of Fig. 8 takenthrough the cabinet and illustrating particularly the slidable tray orpanel supports.

Fig. 6 is a bottom plan View of the cabinet.

Fig. 7 is a top plan View of a tray or panel in open position.

Fig. 8 is a longitudinal, sectional view, parts being broken away,illustrating a tray or panel support.

Fig. 9 is a fragmentary, detail perspective of a modification,illustrating a double hinge connection between the tray support andslidable plate.

Referring in detail to the drawings, 1 indicates a cabinet which may beconstructed of metal, wood or any material having like characteristics.A plurality of partitions 2 may be vertically positioned within thecabinet 1 and may divide the interior of said cabinet into a pluralityof compartments 3. A door 4 may be mounted upon one vertical side of thecabinet 1 by means of hinges 5.

A tray or panel 6 may be mounted within each of the compartments 3 andmay comprise a pair of webs 7, which may be hingedly joined to arelatively elongated connecting plate 8 as shown best at 9 in Figures 1and 2. A plurality of record cards or the like 10 may be mounted inoverlapping relationship upon each of the webs 7.

A plate 11 may be slidably mounted upon the bottom of the cabinet 1within each of the compartments 3, each of said plates being providedwith a plurality of pins 12 which may extend downwardly through'slots 13provided in the bottom 14 of the cabinet 1. The pins 12 may terminate attheir lower ends in relatively enlarged buttons 14 which, when said pinsare positioned within slots 13, prevent the same from being 6 raisedupwardly through said slot. As can readily be seen the plates 11 areslidable within the lower portion of the compartments 3, the degree ofsaid slidability being dependent upon the length of slots 13. A screw15, having head 16, may project downwardly from each of the plates 11and may pass through slots 13, said screws being positioned within theslots immediately in advance of the forward pin 12 of each of the plates11. A forward portion 17 of each of 0 the slots 13 may be relativelyenlarged, being slightly greater in area than the area of the buttons 14at the lower portion of the pins 12. To remove the plates 11 from thecabinet, screws 16 may be removed from said plates, consequently 5 theplates 11 may be slid to their extremely forward position therebypermitting the buttons 14 to register with the enlarged openings 1'7. Itcan readily be seen that while the screws 16 are in position within theslots 13, the shanks 15 of said screws prevent the buttons 14 frompositioning themselves in registration with the enlarged openings 17.This can readily be seen by reference to 18 in Fig. 6.

A bar 19 may be hingedly mounted at one end to the outer extremity ofeach of the plates 11 as shown best at 20 in Fig. 5. A pin 21 having arelatively enlarged head may be mounted upon each of the bars 19adjacent the hinged end thereof, and a winged nut 22 may be threadedlymounted upon the upper face of the opposite end of said bar. Theconnecting plate 8 may be provided adjacent one end with a slot 23having an enlarged portion 24 at one end thereof. The opposite end ofsaid connecting plate may be pro vided with a relatively elongated slot25 having a relatively enlarged central portion 26. To mount the panelor tray 6 upon the bar 19, the enlarged portion 24 of the slot 23 may bebrought into registration with the enlarged head of the pin 21. Thewinged nut 22 may be so disposed as to permit registration between thewings thereof and the slot 25 provided at the opposite end of theconnecting plate 8. However, the winged nut 22 does not come intoregistration with the slot 25 until the pin 21 has been positionedwithin the lower end of the slot 23 at which time the winged nut may bebrought into registration with the slot 25 and the wings thereof may berotated 90 until it occupies a position shown best at 27 in Fig. 1. Inthis manner the connecting plate 8 is securely mounted upon the bar 19and, in turn, the entire tray or panel assembly 6 is mounted upon saidbar.

To position the tray or panel 6 within the compartment 3, the webs 7 maybe swung about hinges 9 until the plane of said webs is brought intoparallelism. The folding motion of the Webs '7 as above described islimited by a spaced 28 which may be mounted upon the connecting plate 8.When the webs 7 carrying the cards 10 are thus folded, the bar 19 andconsequently the entire tray or panel 6 may be swung upwardly about thehinge 20 until the bar 19 occupies a position substantially at rightangles to the slidable bar 11. The upwardly swingable motion of the bar19 is limited to this right angled position by means of the stop 29which may be mounted upon the bar 19 and may, when said bar is broughtinto right angled relationship with the slidable bar 11, contact saidlatter bar. This arrangement is clearly shown in detail in Figure 3.

A compartment 29 may be provided within the cabinet 1 adjacent one sidethereof. A groove or runway 30 formed by the projecting flange 31 andthe rear portion of the wall of the cabinet 1 may be adapted to serve asa track for rollers 32 which, in turn, may be rotatably mounted upon theends of links Said links may be pivotally connected at their center asshown best at 34 in Fig. 8 and may be provided at their opposite endswith pins 35 which may project through slots 36 provided in the doorsupporting member 3'7. The door i may be connected to the doorsupporting member 3'? by means or the hinge 5.

In operation, the door 4 may be swung outwardly from the face of thecabinet 1 until the plane of said door is brought into" a co-incidentplane with respect to the compartment 29. The door 4 may then be forcedinwardly toward the cabinet 1 and into the compartment 29, therebycollapsing the pivotally connected links 33. By the provision of theslots 36 and the elongated groove or runway 30, the circular motion ofthe ends of the links 53 is accommodated during the collapsing periodwhile the door 4 is maintained in its right angled position with respectto the base of the cabinet 1. The collapsed position of the links 33 andthe position of the door within the compartment 29 is shown best indotted lines in Fig. 4.

In utilizing my invention, it can readily be seen that any one of thetrays or panels 6 may be conveniently removed from the compartments 3.The trays or panels 6 may be pulled outwardly from the compartments,said outward motion being accomplished by means of the slidable bars 11.The trays or panels may then be rotated downwardly about the hinges 20until the bar 19 assumes a position substantially parallel to the planeof the bars 11. The webs 7 may then be swung outwardly from each other,making the cards 19 available for entries or reference. To permitthetrays or panels 6 to be swung downwardly when the bars 11 are in theirouter most position, a space is provided in each of the compartments 3between the upper portion of the panels or trays and the top of thecabinet 1.

It may be desirable when making entries upon the cards 10 to so positionthe cards as to accom modate them to the writing position of the user,in other words, it a great number of entries are to be made, the writersarm or wrist may become cramped in attempting to accommodate his writingposition to the right angled position of the cards with respect tohimself. To eliminate this undesirable condition the winged nut 27 maybe rotated one quarter turn and the connecting plate 8 may be disengagedfrom said winged nut. At this period the connecting plate 8' is free toswing either to the right or to the left about the pin 21 as a pivot,thus accommodating the position of the cards to the writing position ofthe user.

If desired, the plate 11 may be formed into sections 38 and 39, joinedby means of a pivot pin 40, the section 39 in turn being hingedlyconnected to the bar 19. This construction is shown best in Fig. 9 andas can be readily seen, permits the user to swing the bar 19 andconsequently the tray 6 when the same is in operative position either tothe right or to the left and thus the writing position of the user maybe accommodated.

I claim as my invention:

1. In combination, a cabinet having a substantially verticalcompartment, a bar slidably mounted. at the bottom of said compartment,means for limiting the movement of said slidable bar, a tray hinged tosaid bar whereby said tray may be swung into substantially the plane ofthe base of the cabinet and means associated with said tray whereby saidtray may be swung laterally with respect to said cabinet.

2. In combination, a cabinet having a vertical compartment, a barslidably mounted at the bottom of said compartment, means for limitingthe slidable movement or" said bar, a member hinged to said slidablebar, and a tray removably mounted upon said member, said tray comprisinga pair of webs, means for mounting a plurality of indeX cards upon saidwebs and a connecting member hingedly connected to each of said webs,said webs being foldable in face to face relationship with respect toeach other and being insertable on end in said compartment.

3. In combination, a cabinet having a compartment, a bar slidablymounted .at the bottom of said compartment, a supporting member inged toone end of said bar, a tray comprising a pair of webs hingedly connectedto a central element, means for removably mounting said central elementupon said supporting member comprising a pair of spaced pins, and meansfor disengaging one of said pins from said supporting member and centralelement whereby said central element and webs may be swung laterallyabout the remaining pin. a

- 4. In combination, acabinet having a plurality of parallel verticalcompartments, .a bar slidably mounted at the bottom of each of saidcompartments, means for limiting the .slidable movement of said slidablebars, a narrow elongatedsupporting member permanently hinged to each ofsaid slidable bars, and a card supporting tray .removablylmounted uponeach of said supportingmembers, each of said trays being adapted to bepositioned upon end in each respective compartment.

FRANK D. POWELL.

